Originally seen in Fish’n Canada’s Week in Review
Wild Boar have checked yet another destination off their tour of the north as 14 were spotted this week roaming a rural road in Pickering, Ontario. According to CP24, the boars were first spotted on a rural resident’s lawn and the Ministry was soon called to investigate. Based on descriptions given by the residents, the boars are thought to be Eurasian, the invasive strain that is currently of most concern.
Unfortunatley, at the time of this writing, the pigs have not yet been captured and the Ontario government is urging those in the Pickering area to report any Wild Boar sightings at [email protected] or 1-833-933-2355.
As we reported last month, when the animals first appeared in Elk Island National Park in Alberta, Wild Boar have begun establishing themselves across Canada.
Evident in the map above, the wild boar invasion has exploded in the west over recent years and has a firm hold in Saskatchewan and Alberta. This is primarily due to a project in the 90s that saw the animal imported to Saskatchewan in an attempt to diversify farming operations – animals that soon escaped and began their spread.
Today, Alberta has sightings in over 28 counties and Saskatchewan, according to lead wild boar researcher at the University of Saskatchewan, Ryan Brook, is “… on track to have more wild pigs than people…”
Fortunately for Canadian hunters, this could mean some new opportunities will be coming our way as governments seek ways to stop the spread of this destructive species. And when that day comes, be sure to check out the Eating Wild section of the website for some excellent Wild Boar recipes.
This excerpt was taken from Fish’n Canada’s Week in Review, our weekly recap of all things relevant to the Canadian outdoorsman. For more stories like this, check out the full article below and tune back in every Friday to catch up on everything you missed!
